A small town by the lake. Guido is a young man with no desire to work who spends the whole day in the local hotel at the poker table and manages to win decent sums with a lot of luck. One day he meets Caterina at the station and falls in love with her.
After some hesitation she accepts his courting and their love story begins among ups and downs, as the girl sometimes assumes mysterious attitudes.Read More »
Just graduated from the Conservatory of Naples, Vincenzo Bellini meets Maddalena Fumaroli and immediately falls in love with her.
To make a musical portrait for her, he writes the romanza “Casta Diva”, of which he makes her homage.
Bellini is the most promising student of the Conservatory, but he only wants to return to Sicily and live with Maddalena. He thus refuses the offer of famous singer Giuditta Pasta to go to Milan with her.
Maddalena, however, doesn’t want that Vincenzo renounces to fame, and leaves.
Bellini hence goes to Milan with Giuditta, where he’s successful with the opera “Il Pirata”, and where he meets – and clashes with – Donizetti.
Maddalena, however, is always in his heart, so he leaves Giuditta and writes a harsh opera, “Norma”, which has no success. Maddalena, upon learning this, takes to Giuditta the romanza “Casta Diva”, which is added to the opera and leads it to success…Read More »
The Roman Emperor Trajan has just murdered all the local men of Dacia and holds a military stronghold in what will later become Rumania. He places a Roman centurion in his place to occupy his latest conquest. After lopping off the head of the Dacian warlord, the soldier uses his blood-stained hands to dine on cheese and bread, unable to suppress his laughter. The centurion has a change of heart when he is put in charge of the region, freely dispensing justice and forgiveness to the conquered inhabitants. When the peace is threatened by marauding barbarians in masks of fur, the locals help the Romans fend off the invasion.Read More »